Three Sisters planting method

Photo By/Credit
Grace Rodgers/USFWS
Date Shot/Created
06/10/2022
Media Usage Rights/License
Public Domain
Image
The Three Sisters planting method is a traditional agricultural practice used by Native Peoples where corn, beans, and squash are planted in a symbiotic triad to enhance soil fertility and plant growth. Graphic by Grace Rodgers/USFWS
Text of graphic
Three Sisters Planting
The Three Sisters Planting is a traditional agricultural practice used by Native Peoples where corn, beans, and squash are planted in a symbiotic triad to enhance soil fertility and plant growth.
Corn -- provides a structure for climbing bean vines to reach sunlight.
Beans -- fertilize the corn and squash by releasing beneficial nitrogen into the soil.
Squash -- broad, spiny leaves prevent weeds, shade the soil to hold moisture, and protect the other plants against predators.
Credit: U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service